~ two friends, two countries, food between.

French Onion Soup… Via Pressure Cooker

On Christmas Eve, I had made a small three rib roast. The rib bones were still sitting in the fridge tightly bundled up in Saran wrap. I didn’t feel to gnaw on them this time, like I usually do. Tugging at the meat on the bones is the best – it’s all about using your hands!

With it being a chilly evening, it made for a perfect soup night. I decided to make a quick stock with some aromatic veggies and herbs. It was a weeknight and I did not want to spend a lot of time prepping and cooking – the best approach was to use a pressure cooker. It would provide the depth and flavor to my quickie homemade stock!

Soup Stock:
On the stove top, heat pressure cooker on high heat. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil and sauté carrot, celery and ribs until lightly caramelized. Add thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and 6 cups water to pot. Lock lid and heat on high. Once high pressure is reached, turn down to medium heat and cook for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, turn off heat and open valve to release pressure. Strain soup through a fine sieve to remove all solids. I always use a strainer spoon – to skim off any fat from the top. This is one of those indispensable gadgets to have in the kitchen!

Caramelizing Onions:
Slice onions as thinly as possible – the thinner the onions, the quicker they will cook. Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon butter and onions. Once onions heated through, reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally. Cook onions slowly until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Lightly season with salt and pepper, optional. Set aside.

Onion Soup:
Preheat broiler to 400 degrees. For a bit of extra flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon beef bouillon until dissolved. Add onions to soup and lock lid. Turn heat on high. Once high pressure is reached, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn off heat and open valve to release pressure. Add pepper to taste. Ladle soup 2/3 full into heatproof bowls. Add 1/3 cup croutons into each bowl, add more soup if needed.

Top soup with ¼ cup cheese. Set in oven and broil until top is golden brown and bubbling.

I just stepped foot into our now *freezing* cold house back on the island. Waiting for the heating to kick in, but in the meantime cuddling up to my laptop and wishing I had that big bowl of steaming hot soup in front of me!! Looks soooo yummy!!

Although my recipe wasn’t a republish, I did find some inspiration and helpful tips from you and Julia! You’ve got great recipes. I love cooking with a pressure cooker. Next time I will definitely mention and reference your site.

I love French onion soup both for the flavours and the happy memories of eating many bowls of it while working in Paris! This is a new way of making it for me – will have to give it a go when it gets chillier here…or before 🙂